


Enchanted

by dameofpowellestate



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe - College/University, Boys In Love, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fireside chats and makeout sessions, Heavy Petting, M/M, Mariah Carey lyrics are ridiculous, marijuana causes cute voicemails
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:01:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dameofpowellestate/pseuds/dameofpowellestate
Summary: Patrick and David meet at a frat party in college. Very 1990's aesthetics and love ensue.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 43
Kudos: 157
Collections: Schitt's Creek Open Fic Night 2.0





	Enchanted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [patrickbrewer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrickbrewer/gifts).



> A prompt fill: AU: David and Patrick meet at a college party and bond over the fact that neither of them actually attend this school.
> 
> I changed it up a bit but held to this prompt as closely as I could once my writing took over.

David was  _ just _ putting the finishing touches on his outfit when he got Alexis's page. 

_ *911*  _

David knew that meant she was done with the frat party she'd insisted he'd join her at before he could even get there, not that he was complaining. He only came into this part of the city on the weekends to make sure nothing untoward happened to his sister, who had a penchant for abduction. 

The last instance being when she went missing for three weeks. She'd finally been found in a remote Scottish island with a bearded sheep herder. After seeing him though, David couldn't help but understand, he'd have endured sheep for those biceps too. 

He liked her apartment marginally better than his anyway. It was far too messy but had way better bodegas and bakeries within walking distance than his did.

Sighing, David smoothed his overly chunky and heavily patterned sweater and slipped on his white Doc Martens, and was out the door. 

\---------- 

After an embarrassingly short taxi ride David could hear the thrum of pop music from the street and was immersed in the stench of sweaty socks and vomit far before he was off the sidewalk.

He spotted Alexis immediately upon walking through the front door. She was the only girl here in anything other than flannel. She of course had on her signature spaghetti strapped black velvet mini dress and black Steve Madden platform sandals.

"Alright Alexis, let's go," he said walking up to her and her date for the evening.

"But David, it just got fun!" Alexis said, one eye closing as she scrunched her face up happily.

"Um,  _ nothing  _ about this party seems fun Alexis."

"Well, they just brought out jello shots."

David did let his eyes wander at that, looking for a tray of them nearby. "Okay, but you paged me a 911."

"Yeah, well the party  _ was  _ lame," she said, one hand pawing at the large guy standing next to her, a vacant expression on his face.

The smooth melodic sounds of Mariah Carey's "Honey" filled the room through the boombox that sat on the counter. 

"Babe, I love this song. Don't you?" Kyle or Chad or whatever the hell his name was said to Alexis, throwing his arm drunkenly around her shoulder.

"Mmm, do you know what this song is about?" David asked, a knowing smirk spread across his lips. 

"David… don't," Alexis pleaded softly. She'd been in attendance at many of his dramatic readings of this song. His best friend called it his party trick. 

" _ And it's just like honey _

_ When your love comes over me _

_ Oh, baby, I've got a dependency _

_ Always strung out _

_ For another taste of your honey,"  _ David began with a straight face, his tone unwavering. 

"Yeah man, I hear the lyrics. It's about honey."

" _ Honey, I can't describe _

_ How good it feels inside," _ David speaks again, loud enough to be heard over the music. "It's about semen,  _ man. _ "

"Ew, David. No one wants to hear you talk about ejaculate," Alexis said, patting the clearly drunk guy still hanging over her shoulder. His arm now slung fully around her body. 

"Oh my God Alexis, don't use the word ejaculate!" he exclaimed, his hands flying about as if trying to knock her words out of the air and his nose scrunching up in disgust. 

"You know what David, why don't you go find something to drink," Alexis said, clearly already exasperated by his presence.

At the word drink Alexis's date perked up and used his hand clutching his red solo cup to gesture wildly toward the drink table, effectively spilling his entire beer down the front of David's very expensive and, if he had to say so, his most attractive sweater. 

"It's over there by the-"

"Are you fucking  _ kidding  _ me? Alexis, your idiot boyfriend has ruined my sweater!" He exclaimed, pulling the hem of the sweater up to inspect the damage.

"Firstly  _ David _ , we're not using labels. Secondly, I don't know what you tell you David! He gets excited about party cocktails."

" _ Firstly _ ," he mocked, "nothing about this party screams cocktails, Alexis.  _ Secondly _ ," he said, still petty enough to keep mocking her, "he just ruined my sweater! This is  _ Coogi _ ! I'm going to clean up and then we're going home!" He said turning sharply on his heel. 

"Are you fucking  _ kidding  _ me?" David snarled again, quickly moving through the crowd towards the bathroom he'd passed on his way in, praying it wasn't as disgusting as the rest of the house. 

It was.

"I don't know how the hell I'm going to get my sweater clean in a room that's this dirty," he mumbled, deftly flipping the sink on and soaking a paper towel from the half used roll on the counter. 

There was a layer of soap scum and old toothpaste on nearly every surface. Not to mention the disgusting piles of clothes and condom wrappers.

David tilted his head back and scrunched his eyes up in an attempt to swallow his disgust when suddenly the door then banged open and David jumped and nearly slipped on a pair of, what he then realized, were underwear. 

"Oh my  _ fucking  _ God. They couldn't  _ clean _ before having people over? And you! Didn't your mother teach you to knock?!" He said now turning his fury towards the—frankly—very cute boy that had just stumbled in the door. 

"Didn't yours teach you to watch your mouth?" The boy in the very appalling baby blue windbreaker asked. 

"If you'd met my mother you'd know what a ludicrous idea that is," David said turning back toward the mirror and dabbing his sweater with a paper towel, waving dismissively with his free hand. 

Apparently nonplussed by the dismissal the button faced boy moved further into the bathroom, now standing absurdly close, so close that David could smell his cheap aftershave that he begrudgingly admitted was  _ doing  _ things to him.

Maybe he  _ had  _ been too celibate after Sebastian Raine left him. Though, after being abandoned tied to a bedpost, who wouldn't have that reaction. 

"Excuse me, I just need to wash my hands," he said, nudging his hip against David's in a way that should have been offensive but…  _ wasn't.  _

David, amusedly appalled, moved over and let the other man move in front of the sink.

"Um well, I'm not sure if you noticed but this room is occupied?" David said, dropping the paper towel into the wastebasket, or rather, on top of all the other trash spilling out onto the floor.

"Huh, I don't know. It kind of looks like you're done." 

"Look here…" David started, pausing to be supplied a name. 

"Patrick."

" _ Patrick, _ " David spoke, the 'k' rolling off his tongue in a delicious way. "You're either extremely impatient or way too sure of yourself."

Patrick, the asshole, looked over his shoulder at David, a grin playing on his lips. He reached across David's body, his hideously charming windbreaker brushed against him, to grab a paper towel to dry his hands. 

"Oh I don't know…" Patrick said, his turn to pause for a name. 

David visibly gulped, his eyes flicking between Patrick's eyes and his hands. "David. My name is David."

" _ David, _ " Patrick said softly, almost like a caress, if David was feeling poetic, and something about this guy was making him feel exactly that. 

"Well, David…" and then Patrick started laughing. 

_ Laughing.  _

_ "Mmm, okay.  _ We're done here. I don't know what you think is so funny about barging in on someone in the bathroom but I'll have you know…" David started, poking Patrick square in the chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I just… God I'm bad at this. I uh, I saw you out there. I saw that guy spill his beer on your sweater and the face you made. It was…  _ cute.  _ So I, may have followed you. Because I think you're cute?"

"You think I'm... wait a second—you followed a stranger into a bathroom at a frat party, to what? Hook up?" David asked, though he got the strong impression this boy wasn't the type to hit it and quit it. "I'm not saying I'm against it but you uh… don't seem the type," David said leaning his hip against the counter now and trying to look aloof by staring at his cuticles.

"Yes, I mean no. Not to hook up. I just - I've never - this is… Jesus," Patrick said, a tinge of pink spreading across his cheeks before he ran a hand down his face.

David was  _ enchanted.  _

"You've never been with a guy and you want to see what it's like. I get it, I've been that before, for people," David huffed his eyes leaving his cuticles and focusing even lower, his Doc Martens now extremely interesting. If this had happened months ago, before Sebastian… if this guy didn't seem so  _ nice…  _ maybe he'd be more interested in being his experiment.

"No David! I-I'm gay. Recently came to the realization, but not experimenting. I just, I may have shotgunned a beer earlier and it may have made me brave enough to flirt with the very cute guy that showed up way over dressed for a frat party… that's all," Patrick said, running his hand along the sleeve of David's frankly, loud patterned sand and stone colored sweater. 

"Oh, well…" David said looking back up, his lips screwing upward in an attempt to suppress a grin, his fingers moving forward to fiddle with the sleeve of Patrick's windbreaker. For a jacket he was so convinced he hated, he wanted his hands all over it… or maybe it was just the guy inside it. 

David took a step closer, leaning forward into Patrick's warmth only to be interrupted by the door banging open again.

This time however it was a very large guy with what looked like a mouth full of vomit.

" _ Okay. _ We're not doing this in here. Move!" David said, his hands going to Patrick's shoulders to turn him around and usher him out of the bathroom and back into the throng of the party. 

Patrick slipped his hand into David's and pulled him along behind him so they wouldn't get separated in the crowd.

David couldn't help but glance around, looking to see if anyone had noticed the fact he was now getting manhandled by a very cute, clearly extremely interested guy. Of course he made eye contact with Alexis because of  _ course  _ she'd notice. 

She folded her hands up under her chin and waggled her fingers at him, her eyebrows attempting to move like their father's.

"That's not your actual date is it?" Patrick asked, glancing over his shoulder as they continued to move further away from Alexis, and thankfully the writhing bodies. 

"Ew no, that's my sister. She paged me to come get her but by the time I got here she'd found another meathead to entertain her," he said rolling his eyes, crowding in on Patrick as they neared the back door, sliding his hand across his broad shoulders.

"This jacket really is appalling," David muttered more to himself than Patrick as he continued to explore the other man's shoulders.

"That's funny because you can't seem to stop touching it," Patrick said, leading David toward the fire pit outside. The bathroom may have been disgusting but the backyard was halfway decent.

There were beer bottles everywhere and a keg set up not far from the fire pit. Oh how fast David's expectations had been lowered. Apparently, remove the smell of stale beer and gym socks and David could be comfortable anywhere.

"Mmm. I didn't say  _ you  _ were appalling though," David said taking a seat on a padded bench next to the fire, despite the fact his sweater would now not only smell like beer but smoke too.

"So, do you often frequent frat parties with your sister?"

"Um, unfortunately," David said, his fingers playing with Patrick's much shorter ones. "She has a record of getting into trouble. I like to avoid having to bail her out on the front end if I can help it."

"Well that's..." Patrick begins and then stops to clear his throat, clearly way more affected by David's hands than he should be. "That's nice. Um, what… shit, David you've gotta stop that if you want me to be able to speak, or think straight."

David's lips pulled to the side in a small grin as he looked up from Patrick's fingers to his eyes, an eyebrow ticking up.

"Or we could, you know, not talk for a bit."

"Okay yeah, let's do that." 

And then Patrick's soft lips were on David's, a small sound leaving the back of his throat at the briefest contact. 

David couldn't help but move his hands up Patrick's arms and over his shoulders, the slick fabric of the windbreaker making it so easy to run his hands along back and then up into the hair at the nape of his neck. 

Patrick's hand moved to cup David's jaw, his fingertips running across the stubble there. He pulled back and replaced his fingers with his lips, ghosting along the line of stubble up to David's ear and back down only to repeat it on the other check, a satisfied grunt coming from the back of his throat.

"Wow, I've never…" Patrick said sitting back, his eyes moving all over David face, a dreamy smile on his lips. 

"And you didn't know you were gay?" David lightly teased, moving to nuzzle his cheek into Patrick's neck.

"Um, I sure as hell do now. _David,"_ he whispered, his leg hitching over David's lap in an attempt to get closer.

David just chuckled.

Patrick leaned his head in the most awkward angle to capture David's lips again, this time quickly licking into his mouth. 

Patrick's fingers finally strayed from David's jaw and moved on to his long dark locks, tugging a bit before completely losing his hands inside the thick hair, his short nails running over his scalp lightly. 

"Good God, you know we're still in public right?" David asked after he'd let a soft moan escaped his lips at the feeling of Patrick's hands in his hair. 

Patrick jumped back then as if he'd been electrocuted, "Shit, I'm sorry. I-I got way too carried away. Let me… I'm going to get us a drink. I swear I'll be right back," he said scrambling to his feet and adjusting his pants as best he could. 

"Really, it's okay. I was just-"

"No, I know David. Just, let me get us drinks and then we'll talk okay? I really want to talk," Patrick said, his hand reaching out to touch David's cheek fondly before moving back inside the house and disappearing. 

David wasn't left alone with his thoughts for very long when Alexis burst through the backdoor, "if you're done, I'm ready to go David." 

"Um, I'm not actually. Patrick just went to get us drinks," he said pulling nervously on the hem of his sweater. It wouldn't be the first time someone had bailed on him like this at a party but Patrick seemed too earnest for that kind of move.

David didn't always have the best judgement when it came to relationships but Patrick was  _ nice  _ and he seemed to even be fond of David and he was definitely into the kissing. 

"I saw him leave out the front door David. I don't know what you did to that poor button but he's not coming back."

"Really Alexis, it's the least you could do! I always come to these things with you and there are never any prospects for me and the one time there is you want to pull the rug out!" David said, ignoring the feeling of dread seeping into his stomach.

Alexis's face slackened and a ghost of pity ran through her eyes, "No but like, really David. The little cutie took off out of the front door."

David's spirits plummeted but he'd be damned if he was going to let Alexis know, “Right. Let's go then," he said casually, hesitating for a few seconds as if to see there was a chance Alexis was wrong.

As they walked through the house there was no sign of Patrick. David's chest tightened with the thought he'd done something wrong. Patrick had seemed like a  _ nice  _ guy, David wasn't used to nice guys.  _ David _ wasn't a nice guy and maybe… maybe Patrick had figured that out.

He looked so straight laced with his mid range denim jeans, polo and that damn windbreaker. The boy probably wore a Casio wristwatch.

This just further proved the truth David knew about himself. He was just  _ too much.  _ Sebastian had told him this, and he hadn't been the first, he'd just been the one that had hurt the most. 

David's family was too crazy, his eating habits too unhealthy, his mannerisms and skin care routine were ridiculous. He was too needy in bed and on occasion not needy enough. Nothing he ever did measured up to the standards of the people he dated. He's always said the longer and better people got to know him, the more uninterested they became… or the more interested but always for the wrong reasons. 

He'd only known Patrick part of an evening but there had been something about him that made David think maybe things would be different this time. David never knew how badly he'd wanted  _ nice.  _ God, and now that he knew it ate him up that he'd missed his chance.

\----------

As they rode home in the back of a cab Alexis prattled on about Adam, the very handsome frat boy she'd given her pager number to. 

"Um David, are you like, okay?" Alexis asked, her entire body turning to face him as they rode back to her apartment in SoHo.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You know I'm used to people just… leaving," he said quietly.

"Yeah but, you like, really seem upset David. He totally had big round doey eyes. Are you sure you didn't like, come on too strong?"

"Alexis! I was taking cues from him. I can't tell you why he left he just did!" David snapped, a bit harsher than he normally would with his sister, ending his outburst with a sad sniffle.

"Awe David, you  _ liked  _ him," she whined, bumping her shoulder into his 

"I knew him for an hour so…"

"Mmm. So? Time doesn't matter when there's like... chemistry," she said shimming her shoulders and attempting to wink at him.

"Well why would he have left if there was… chemistry?"

Alexis crossed her legs and slipped her arm through David's, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

"This is… weird."

"Just let it happen David. You need a cuddle," Alexis said softly.

\----------

"Wait a second, let me get this straight," Stevie said before inhaling from the joint they were sharing and passing it back to David.

They sat on the rug of David's bedroom, two full bottles of wine and an ashtray between them.

There was a long pause as she held the smoke in her lungs before continuing, " _ You're  _ hung up on a guy? Since when do you get hung up on anything not fashion related?"

"Um, who said anything about being hung up? I was just telling you about my weekend," he grumbled before taking his hit and passing it back.

"Yes and that normally consists of bitching about Alexis and whatever hot guy she's dating and occasionally a hook up on your end… never anyone with a name or a, what did you call him? A button face?"

" _ Okay,  _ so Alexis called him a button face and I get that I'm a heartless bastard. Anything else you want to point out?"

"I just want you to think about all the things you just told me. He was cute? Nice? Since when do you use those words?" Stevie said, moving on to the wine.

"Mmm, it's quite possible I've never met anyone cute or nice?" David questioned, his fingers nervously running over the fabric of the rug underneath him.

"Exactly! You've never thought anyone was nice or cute. You went on and on about how hot it was that he was obsessed with your stubble. And  _ then  _ how much you wish he hadn't run off. You've got it bad David."

" _ Okay.  _ Well, he did run off and I'll never see him again so there's no point in talking about it," he said finishing off the joint and pulling his knees up to his chest, his chin now resting on top.

Stevie just sat there giving him a knowing grin, as if waiting for him to continue.

"But like, what if something happened to him? What if he hadn't meant to leave? I mean, he could've been kidnapped or you know… anything else really."

"He's not Alexis so I don't think he was kidnapped. But, maybe it was a misunderstanding," Stevie said, a bit more optimistic than she normally was, though David was sure it was for his benefit and not because she actually believed it. 

"Maybe I just need to let it go. I'll let Alexis go to the frat parties by herself for awhile."

Thirty minutes later, stoned out of his mind he borrowed Stevie's phone to call Alexis, taking a chance she's even at home to answer it. 

She's not.

He leaves five voicemails.

"Alexissss…. I've been thinking about Patrick. Maybe he was kidnapped? Can you like, find him at school? He seems like he does math… is there a math building?"

"Okay but what if he died? Should I call the local hospitals? Maybe he'll be at the next party though. Could you keep an eye out?"

"Alexis! Alexis it's me David. Stevie said I have to quit calling you but I just wanted to tell you about Patrick. Do you remember him? You called him a button. He was a button… I think I liked him."

"Alexis, I was upset that night. You were so right. Thanks for always being there for me. Well, I mean, you're really not. I'm always there for you, but you were there for me that night and that meant a lot. But yeah, Patrick. I miss him. How can you miss someone you barely know?"

\---------

It was weeks before David told Alexis he'd accompany her to another frat party. Long enough that Alexis had traded one frat guy in for another. This one at least seemed like he had a brain, he was apparently going to be a veterinarian.

David was driving them upstate to some house in the Hamptons Alexis arranged for the last frat party of the year to be held.

"I don't think a fraternity is going to properly appreciate the Hamptons Alexis. You've met these guys right? Loud? Gross? Not to mention the amount of money in damages you're going to have to pay."

" _ Yes David,  _ but don't  _ you  _ want to stay at a house in the Hamptons? This is our last weekend of freedom before we have to go back home to see Mom and Dad. Plus, I'm not footing the bill for this, the fraternity is!" she squealed, bouncing in her seat from excitement.

David rolled his eyes and gripped the steering wheel tighter as snow started to fall, "Alexis, do you think, not that I care or anything… but do you think maybe Patrick might be there?"

Alexis smirked knowingly over at her brother, "David, you can like, quit pretending? I know you like really want to find your little muffin? The only person you're fooling is yourself. Besides David, if he wanted to find you he would've… I'm not exactly hard to find on campus. If he goes to my school, I'm sure he would have reached out."

"Wow, thanks  _ so  _ much for the encouragement. I feel much better now," David huffed.

David was relieved that the snow had mostly stopped falling by the time they pulled into the driveway of the house they'd be partying for the night… or more accurately most of the weekend.

The house was astonishingly beautiful. It didn't look large from the front but once inside, David saw why Alexis had insisted on this house. The inside was an open floor plan allowing guests to move easily from a formal living room, to the informal and then into a study and the kitchen with ease. 

David wandered aimlessly into the kitchen searching for anything to calm his anxieties. He wanted Patrick to be here so badly but the chances of Patrick wanting to reconnect seemed highly unlikely to David.

He poured himself some of the nicest looking liquor which happened to be a darker rum before moving through the crowd of people.

He could see Alexis across the way, accepting a drink from her date while flirting with his entire group of friends.

He made his way toward the back door, figuring he'd see if was as nice outside as it was inside. He was halfway to the door when his path was obscured by a very solid and familiar body, which wasn't wearing a windbreaker this time but a much heavier coat. 

" _ Hi." _

" _ Patrick,"  _ David breathed at the same time, his body suddenly way too warm and it had nothing to do with the rum he'd already drank.

"I've uh… been coming to these events since we last met. I've been looking for you David. What happened? Where did you go?" Patrick asked, his eyes boring into David's.

"Where did I go? Alexis said you _ left _ ," he said taking a deep pull from his drink.

"Oh, yeah I-I did. I mean, I didn't leave but I did pass her on my way out the front door. I just needed to get some air."

"I was waiting for you  _ outside,"  _ David huffed, his hands gesticulating wildly as he attempted to move around Patrick.

_ " _ I needed air that wasn't saturated with your presence or I was going to make an idiot of myself," Patrick said stepping into David's path again.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I'm sorry! I really did try to find you. I've never gone to as many parties as I have over the last few weeks," he admitted softly, a tinge of pink spread across his cheeks. "I didn't have a pager number or anything so… I was hoping that would be the best way to find you, but I didn't even see your sister!"

"That's...oddly flattering. That you'd suffer through all those frat parties," David said, his fingers nervously running along the rim of his red Solo cup. 

"Have you not… what I mean is, have you thought about me at all?"

David smirked elusively, his eyes flicked up to meet Patrick's for a second. “Wouldn't you like to know?”

A deep rumbling laugh left Patrick's chest. "I'm serious, you're all I've thought about."

"Me too, honestly," David said, still avoiding Patrick's gaze. "So, are you fine with the air saturation? Are you going to need a breather anytime soon?" 

Patrick moved closer, stepping into David's space, his fingers moving to David's jawline, lifting his eyes to meet his own "Oh, I don't know David. I'm thinking I could probably even go a bit heavier. Maybe even a room with just you in it."

"Well that's… you can't just… if it was just me in there I think you might miss out," David snarked, his eyes alight with glee at how easy it is to tease Patrick.

"Maybe we should go back outside? Just in case?" Patrick grasping David's hand in his own and pulling softly.

"But it's  _ snowing! _ It's too cold! My nose will fall off," David half-heartedly protested.

"There's a fire going, and uh, I won't let you get cold," Patrick said pulling David along behind him as he made his way through the door.

David snuggled deeper into his heavy sweater as he and Patrick stepped through the sliding glass door that led to the back porch. 

There was a thin layer of snow covering the ground outside of the covered portion of the expansive porch. The porch had every manner of furniture available but a very cozy looking bench by the outdoor fireplace that was still under the covered section.

" _ Wow _ ," David breathed, struck more by the sight of Patrick's reddening nose and the grey beanie he'd just pulled onto his head than he was the impressive scene before him. 

Patrick took David's hand again and pulled him over to the bench, lifting up a blanket that was left on the bench and placing it over the both of them as they sat. 

David gladly tucked himself under the blanket and allowed Patrick to secure the blanket around them.

"Mike, my cousin, said you might be here. He was apparently accosted by your sister in the common room of his dorm. So, I was… I was hoping you wouldn't be upset with me… when I I came back and saw you were gone I was worried you'd decided… I dunno, that I wasn't worth the trouble or not experienced enough."

"Seems like we were worried about the same thing. I mean, not the experience part, I have enough of that for the both of us."

David drank down the rest of his rum in one big gulp, placing the cup gingerly on the ground next to his feet. If he was going to sit outside while it was snowing, he was going to need something to help keep him warm... until Patrick decided he was up to the task.

It didn't seem to take the other man very long to move into David's space. Patrick pulled on one of David's legs until it was in his lap and he was able to scoot closer, his hands clasping David's in his own.

"Hold on...my sister accosted your cousin? She didn't mention anything to me, that little B."

"Yeah, he said she followed him into his dorm lobby and laid into him about how I had treated you at the last party. He obviously had no idea what she was talking about until he mentioned your name. She really didn't… tell you?"

"I uh… might have gotten a little high and I maybe? Left her several voicemails about you," he said his forehead leaving to rest against Patrick's, their warm breath mingling between them. 

"Any chance of you telling me what you said?" Patrick grinned, running his nose across David's jawline.

"No, definitely not… telling you that. She did say she'd never heard of you at school though, so I didn't think she'd ever find you." 

"Um well, I actually  _ don't  _ go to school here…"

David couldn't help but laugh loudly, "Wait… you don't go to NYU?" 

"No, I actually go to Columbia. I, I've been going to these parties, well I went to the first one because I'd just broken up with the girlfriend I'd had since junior high so Mike drug me along and then I met you and I knew that  _ you  _ went to school there so I-I kept coming," Patrick explained, pulling back to look at David.

"But Patrick, I don't go to school here either. I graduated from the University of Toronto last year. I live in the upper east side now."

"So this whole time we've both been going to these parties when really we could've been… anywhere  _ but  _ a frat party?" Patrick asked, lacing the fingers of one hand through David's.

David just chuckled, "if it weren't for these frat parties we never would have met… and uh, I don't know about you but this seems… right," David whispered softly. "I know you said you've never done this with a guy, but I've never done it with someone, well nice. Someone I actually  _ liked as a person." _

Patrick smiled sappily, "You make me feel right too David," he said, letting go of one of his hands to cup David's cheek, pulling him in for a tender kiss.

A tender kiss that grew slightly more needy when David's now free hand buried into the curls at Patrick's neck, the ends just barely peeking out from under his beanie. 

"I think, before we lose each other again we should probably exchange pager numbers, home addresses and social security numbers," Patrick said pulling back from the kiss.

"Mmm, mhmm," David said, pulling Patrick back in for another kiss, smiling into Patrick's lips. 

" _ David,"  _ Patrick mumbled against the other man's lips before pulling back. "I'm serious, I don't want to lose you again," Patrick mumbled and David could sense his unease.

David grinned, his thumb running between his eyebrows to relieve his worried furrowed brow. "You won't… we'll make this work. I mean... what I mean is… if you want to have dinner sometime or whatever, we'll make it happen."

"Anywhere just as long as there's not a frat guy around for miles," Patrick laughed, leaning into David's touch.

"You have no idea how badly I'd like to be with you anywhere other than a frat party right now… but lucky for us this is a  _ very _ nice house with  _ very  _ nice bedrooms… if that's something you'd be interested in that is. Even if we don't, we could talk?"

"Oh David, I'm more than interested. But, maybe not… wouldn't it feel weird in a house full of, well, _these people?_ "

David blinked, it had never been weird for him to do what he wanted even in a room full of people but now that he thought about it, Patrick was right. David didn't want to share this experience with anyone but Patrick.

"Then we'll talk."

"Talking is good. Kissing is also good."

David chuckled as he stood, clasping Patrick's hand in his as he led them back inside. 

\----------

David couldn't remember the last time he'd just been in bed with someone. Existed in the same space, under the same blanket with another person and sex not been his primary motivation, or at least been on the menu. 

But, here he was sprawled out on his back, admittedly dressed only in his black silk briefs, with a very warm and mostly naked Patrick molded around his body. 

"This is… nice," David said softly. 

"It is. You're nice," Patrick said, his tree trunk-like legs slipping between David's as he nestled closer. 

"I am decidedly not nice, but thank you."

"I don't know who told you that David, but to me? You're nice," Patrick spoke softly and then they were kissing again. 

David extracted himself from Patrick's embrace and rolled over so his arms were bracketing Patrick's head.

"Is this, okay?" He asked softly, his nose brushing against Patrick's hairline, his lips grazing his forehead. 

"Yeah, it–it's so good," Patrick muttered, his hips lifting slightly off the bed.

Patrick lowered his hips back down to the bed, his hands moving to run along David's back, a soft groan leaving the back of his throat.

"What?" David asked, his lips now moving to ghost along his eyelids and cheekbones.

"You're so hairy."

"Oh," David said and sat back on his heels, "I can like, start waxing. I used to–"

"David, if you haven't already figured out that I  _ really  _ like your body hair I've not been doing a good enough job expressing my feelings on the matter," Patrick said, and for good measure reached his hands forward to run along David's chest. 

"Oh… well, good. That'll you know, save me some time and money."

"Would you mind, um… coming back down here please?"

David resumed his spot over Patrick, his lips hovering over Patrick's. "You like me on top of you don't you?" David breathed against Patrick's lips. 

Patrick lifted his hips again. "Isn't it a little obvious?" 

"God Patrick," David said, his nose resting against Patricks cheek, trying to catch his breath. 

Patrick snaked his hand up between them and tipped David's chin up, his fingers back to caressing his stubble. 

"David, you make me want things I've never wanted before. Everything with you feels so right."

"Me too Patrick, me too," David whispered, his eyes doing their best to water.

\----------

Now David can't remember the last time Patrick's hand wasn't in his. That night at the party, they'd finally exchanged phone numbers, pager numbers, all along with sweet whispered words and many lingering kisses. 

Patrick moved into David's apartment a few months after they started dating, not long after Patrick had sent him an absurdly large cookie to celebrate their 4 month anniversary. 

Eventually David moved from gallery running to owning a store, putting Patrick's Columbia business degree to work. It wasn't too far from their apartment and did exceedingly well with his handcrafted goods and locally made treats.

After so many years of living together they debated the need for a wedding at all but it was important, it felt important to celebrate a relationship that had completely changed both their lives. 

So, they had a small ceremony in the spring of 2012. Patrick's cousin Mike was his best man and Stevie and Alexis stood by David's side and they jokingly recited their old pager numbers and exchanged 5 rings between the two of them.

Needless to say, they never lost each other again. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A special thank you to returntosaturn for loving me through this and reading it 18 times to the point she refused to read it again.


End file.
